Dean Ferris To Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing
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Last week’s news that Josh Grant had to miss the 2019 Las Vegas Supercross due to a practice crash had a much bigger impact on the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing team than just one weekend. Grant was to finish out the Supercross season and contest the opening rounds of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship until Aaron Plessinger was back up to speed from a broken heel, but Grant’s crash at the Yamaha Supercross track left the veteran racer with a broken leg that will require about the same amount of recovery time, if not longer.
With this, Yamaha had to find a fill-in rider for their fill-in rider, a tall order given the current roster of healthy and available talent. Who could get comfortable on the factory YZ450F in a short time and put in two 30-minute motos at race pace? Right now there are only a few riders capable of that, and even fewer not tied to another OEM.
With all of that said, it should come as no surprise that Dean Ferris has been tapped for the position, a deal that was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Ferris has a global connection to the brand and was already hired by the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing MXGP team this season to race in place of Romain Febvre (Febvre was injured at the first MXGP of the year in Argentina and needed surgery on his ankle). Unfortunately for Ferris, that fill-in rider at the MXGP team was cut short by a small knee injury he suffered at the MXGP Of Great Britain, but he’s back to full health just in time for the start of the American series and has a full-time spot for the summer series.
Ferris lined up for a single round of the Lucas Oil Pro Motocross Championship two years ago, the 2017 High Point Motocross, and was impressive in his standalone performance. Aboard a CycleTrader/Rock River Yamaha bike with some of his own parts, Ferris was the third-fastest rider in qualifying, then led laps in 450 Moto One and finished that moto in second place. His results in the second moto were offset by an opening lap crash, but Ferris bounced back to finish fourteenth. His 2-14 scores put him seventh overall on the day.
Ferris has expressed an interest at racing in the United States since that day in 2017, but the Australian was never offered a contract that he felt suitable and he stayed down under, where he claimed the 2018 Australian National Motocross championship in the 450 class.
The press release from Yamaha, including quotes from Ferris and team manager Jim Perry, is posted in full below…
As Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team’s Aaron Plessinger continues to recover from his broken heel injury sustained earlier this year in Supercross, the team has announced that international racer Dean Ferris will stand in starting with the opening round of the 2019 Pro Motocross Championship at the Hangtown Classic on May 18.
Ferris is the reigning Australian Motocross Champion in the premier class and added his name to the history books in 2018 as the first rider to win all 10-rounds of the series. The Australian has also gone undefeated in the title chase for the last three years aboard Yamaha’s popular YZ450F. Earlier this season, the 28-year-old filled in for the injured Romain Febvre in the MXGP World Championship. Having achieved his current goals in the national Australian championship, Ferris is eager for new opportunities abroad to further hone his skills as a top motocross rider.
“Dean is a multi-time Australian Motocross Champion with a goal to race in the U.S. Timing is everything and he will get a great opportunity to do so in the Lucas Oil Motocross Championship as Aaron continues to make progress in his recovery.” – Jim Perry
“I’m super excited about this opportunity to race with the Monster Energy Yamaha Factory Racing Team. I’ve won a lot of races on the YZ450F, so it’s a perfect fit for me to start my campaign in America. I’m looking forward to getting the outdoor season rolling in Hangtown next weekend!” – Dean Ferris
